I just wanted to share some thoughts of a couple of researchers who have worked aggressively to reduce the bias against ELLS in testing situations in K-12.  These researchers examine the many ways that language gets in the way of reliable and accurate testing of learners on standardized tests, and they also object strongly to the practice of first language proficiency testing for ELLS suspected of having LD or RD ( reading disability).  I  think the following quotes apply very strongly to attitudes towards the language of non- or low literate ADULT learners as well as young ones-- attitudes reflected in statements such as "teaching correct English" or "low oral proficiency":   

"...language of the less educated, whether first or additional, may be seen as deficient when “…the language of the educated classes…[is seen as] inherently more complex and richer and …[as] plac[ing] greater demand on cognitive resources,”(McSwan & Rolstad, 2006, p. 2310).  When this happens, there is an assumption that school language is somehow “an improved version of the language of other contexts, a claim that is not adequately supported” by research or other evidence, (p.2310).  Language proficiency measures, even in monolinguals, reflect this bias: “…CALP and Bloom’s Taxonomy are usually defined to reflect language used in academic contexts so that the language of the educated classes is again privileged as developmentally superior,” (McSwan & Rolstad, 2006, p.2321).  The significant lesson here is that in thinking about how  learners  with limited education are different from educated learners, we must acknowledge that the oral English proficiency skills of the two groups will necessarily be different, especially as the oral skills emerge, and skills of the two groups should not be compared nor should the skills of the less educated learners be compared to standards of monolingual speakers, " ( Schwarz, in progress) 

Robin  

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